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Flowers to 'Robin' have been left on the Barbican (Image: Penny Cross)

According to the government’s list of fishing vessels under 10m the Laura Jane is 6.1m long with a fibre glass hull and was built in Britain in 1980. It has shellfish licence but not a scallop licence.

Police sources said a number of other vessels which were out in the Sound went to the Laura Jane’s aid at the time of the incident, as Coastguard crews and other emergency services personnel, including members of the Royal Navy raced to the scene.

Eyewitnesses previously told The Herald they saw crews smash the window of the sinking boat in a desperate bid to save the man inside.

The small fishing trawler was later towed to Batten Bay beach, near Mount Batten on Monday afternoon.

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A spokesman for Plymouth Coastguard said private vessels in the area first raised the alert to the capsized boat.

They said a number of services were involved in the operation, including MoD Police, RNLI and the Royal Navy.

At this stage the man’s cause of death has not been ascertained although South Western Ambulance Service confirmed the man had suffered a cardiac arrest.

The scene was guarded by police throughout the night and it is understood representatives from the police, the MAIB, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the MoD attended the scene yesterday to determine the next stage of the investigation.